SURAT THANI – An unnamed foreign man has been arrested on Koh Samui after allegedly dragging a Thai driver from an Isuzu SUV and driving off, leaving the driver clinging to the side of the moving vehicle for about 3.5 kilometres, police reported on Thursday.
The incident happened on Thursday morning on the main ring road around the southern tourist island. Witnesses said the man, believed to be around 35 and of unknown nationality, ran into the road near the Isan Krok Yai restaurant in tambon Bo Phut. He was seen trying to open the doors of several cars as they passed.
He then flagged down an Isuzu SUV used for airport transfers. Police said that when the driver opened the door, the man spoke briefly, then suddenly pulled him out of the driver’s seat and onto the road.
The suspect got into the SUV and drove towards the Bo Phut intersection. The driver managed to get back up and hold onto the vehicle’s door as it picked up speed, leaving onlookers stunned.
Police from a nearby public service point chased the SUV on a motorcycle and alerted police in Bo Phut. They stopped the vehicle at the Bo Phut T-junction, roughly 3.5 kilometres from where it started.
The foreign man was taken to the Bo Phut police station. Police said he could not give a clear statement, so he was sent for a medical check and drug test before charges were filed. The driver said he was heading to Samui airport to collect passengers when he saw the man in the road.
“I thought he needed help or wanted directions,” he said. “He didn’t make sense and then yanked me out. I got up and held on to the vehicle.”
A resident from Mae Nam who witnessed the scene said she wanted to help but froze. She added that another foreign driver who had stopped to watch also chose not to step in, as the man appeared to be hallucinating. Police said no one suffered serious injuries.
